Located in the picturesque town of Besharre (or Bsharri), about 120km from Beirut, the Gibran Museum is dedicated to famed Lebanese poet, philosopher, painter, and author Gibran Khalil Gibran. He was born into poverty in 1883 and received no formal education – priests taught him how to read and write. In 1895, after their land was confiscated, Gibran moved to the US with his family.

His career as an artist and writer began in 1904 with his first art exhibition. He is most famous for The Prophet, a collection of poetry espousing his philosophies. Gibran purchased an old monastery in Besharre for his tomb, which is where the museum is located. He died in 1932.

The museum features 440 of Gibran’s paintings and sketches, as well as a library containing his private manuscripts. There is a lot of information about his philosophy, which was very heavily based in Christianity. He was also a staunch Lebanese nationalist. Another highlight is his tomb in the basement. The museum is an interesting look into the lives of Lebanon’s most important thinkers. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area.